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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25768717">falling into place</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/imrnlyn/pseuds/imrnlyn'>imrnlyn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, couphan, jeongcheol - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:13:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,322</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25768717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/imrnlyn/pseuds/imrnlyn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seungcheol took too many chances for granted but he wanted to make it right now that Jeonghan was at an arm's reach again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>falling into place</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This has been uploaded before. I just decided to make it into a whole new story with the same plot. </p><p>Not yet beta read so I apologize in advance for any typos and grammar errors.</p><p>That's all. Please enjoy :)<br/>and happy birthday seungcheol</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I swear to God, if you’re still at home right now, I’m leaving.” Jeonghan tells his best friend, Jisoo who’s on the other side of the call. He just finished his errands, aka grocery shopping, and had planned to meet up with Jisoo at this cafe since it’s been 2 whole weeks since they met up. Or maybe this was just an excuse to spend money on an oversized drink they wouldn’t even finish and maybe a cookie or doughnut if Jeonghan was feeling generous.</p><p>“I’m at the entrance. Calm down,” Jisoo replies. “Fine, I’m hanging up.”<br/>
He arrives about five minutes later.</p><p>“Hey, what’s with all the bags?” Jisoo asks pertaining to all three paper bags Jeonghan had settled on the floor.</p><p>“You see, I need food and bathroom necessities I had to buy.”</p><p>Jisoo makes a face. <em>’Do you think I’m blind?’ </em>and says, “I can see that but aren’t you coming to the reunion thing?”</p><p><em>Oh</em>, there was a reunion today. Right.</p><p>“That was today?” Jeonghan replies casually in an attempt to appear complacent about the topic.</p><p>“Yeah? I only reminded you like twelve thousand times.”</p><p>Jeonghan suppresses a groan because, to be honest, he doesn’t like coming out of the house for extended periods of times and social gatherings are a whole different story. For Jeonghan, if he could get out of them, he makes sure that he does.</p><p>
  <em>All I need to tell Jisoo is, “I wasn’t really planning on going so…”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>So at 6 in the evening, Jeonghan finds himself seated in a bustling restaurant with faint jazz music in the background amidst all the chatter on this, approximately, twenty-seater long table which they apparently had reserve for the occasion. Everyone was talking in all directions.</p><p>This was why he didn’t want to go. It always felt like he could never fit in or maintain a conversation after the <em>hi’s</em> and <em>hello’s</em> and <em>where do you work? </em>Because really, what is there to ask? It’s not like he was going to be invited to Seohyun’s wedding that’s going to be held at the end of this year in Jeju which she hasn’t shut up about, showing off her huge engagement ring that could probably be used to pay a whole year’s college tuition if sold. She’s marrying her senior from work. Also, will he even keep in touch with Seunghun after he leaves for Canada because he’s got a new job there? Yeah, they might’ve eaten lunch together in a group a couple of times before but what’s there to talk about? There’s nothing, really.</p><p>Jeonghan inches closer to Jisoo who was sat to his left, who’s been talking to the girl beside him who he shared a couple of classes with. “I’m leaving,” he whispers.</p><p>Jisoo excuses himself from the conversation he was having to face him, “What? No, you’re not. Besides, I heard Seungcheol’s coming.”</p><p>Jeonghan tries his best not to look as if the mention of the name fazed him. He hasn’t seen the guy in what? A year? Maybe two? Even more so, talked to him between those years.</p><p>“Yeah, no. I’m still leaving.” He stands up, grabbing the bag slung on the back of his chair before Jisoo had the opportunity stop him from leaving.</p><p>As soon as he stepped outside, the cool night breeze embraces him, thankful that Jisoo forced him to wear a jacket.</p><p>A car pulls up into a parking slot a few feet away as Jeonghan stands in the restaurants doorway. Taking a few deep breathes to calm himself down from the stress tonight has brought him. Said car’s lights go off and out comes the driver.</p><p>Jeonghan’s sure they made brief eye contact before the driver turns back to the car to shut the door and he takes that as his cue to leave.</p><p>Seungcheol’s here. <em>Yep, definitely leaving.</em></p><p>Maybe Seungcheol called out for him, maybe he didn’t. He didn’t want to know even if he was undoubtedly thinking of it the whole way home.</p><p>Jeonghan tried his best to not look back because, <em>‘What if he didn’t really call for me? What if I was just hearing things? You know how the mind sometimes plays tricks at you.’</em></p><p>Looking back and not seeing him there would be even worse.</p><p> </p><p>Jisoo comes over the following day, after a proper scolding of “He was asking why you left so early!” “He said he was hoping he’d see you there” through Facetime that fateful night. All Jeonghan could reply was, “I’m tired. I’m going to sleep.”</p><p>Clearly, it was a lie because Jeonghan barely slept that night. He could barely free his mind of Seungcheol.</p><p>
  <em>He saw me. I know that now.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“You know I gave him your number right?” Jisoo reminds him. Jeonghan just hums in reply. “He’s bound to contact you sooner or later.”</p><p>And that, Seungcheol did.</p><p> </p><p>That night after Jisoo had fallen asleep on the pull-out sofa bed because he’s too lazy to head home after movie night just like how he always is.</p><p><strong>Seungcheol:</strong> Hey, it’s me.<br/>
<strong>Me:</strong> Hey</p><p>Jeonghan replies despite having an internal battle if he should continue talking to him, if he shouldn’t. But, he thought, he’d rather just have this conversation through the phone than in person with him. He can always lie if ever the need comes.</p><p><strong>Seungcheol:</strong> I didn’t catch you last night.<br/>
<strong>Me:</strong> Yeah, I left early.<br/>
<strong>Seungcheol:</strong> I was hoping I’d see you there. Jisoo told me you were coming.<br/>
<strong>Me:</strong> Something came up. I wasn’t really planning on going anyway.<br/>
<strong>Seungcheol:</strong> I figured. I was surprised when she told me. I know you hate social events.<br/>
<strong>Me:</strong> Yeah</p><p>That’s all Jeonghan replies because to him, what else was there to say to that? <em>Thanks for remembering? I glad you remembered?</em> He didn’t think so. Yeah, Jeonghan liked Seungcheol. Liked, past-tense. That was in college.</p><p>They were friends. They hung out too much. One of them was going to fall for the other. As Jeonghan thought, it was bound to happen to one of them eventually. Unfortunately for him, it did. But he didn’t think it did the same for Seungcheol. Still, he was contented with being friends. He’d rather have just that than nothing at all.</p><p>When graduation came, it became overwhelming he wanted to hold on to this thread when there was nothing to hold on to anymore so he thought that gradually detaching himself from Seungcheol was the right thing to do because he’s bad at goodbyes.</p><p>Jeonghan never wanted to say goodbye but it felt like he had to.</p><p>Eventually, things just unfolded on its own. They naturally lost contact after graduation and all Jeonghan ever saw of Seungcheol was through Instagram where they still followed each other.</p><p> </p><p>The following days, Seungcheol never stopped pestering Jeonghan about the prospects of meeting up. Just the two of them. Jeonghan decided it was better if Jisoo didn’t know. For once, he had a secret from him.</p><p>When Seungcheol finally says, “You know I’m never going to stop bugging you for coffee or lunch or dinner until you agree, right?” and Jeonghan knows him well enough to know that he was telling the truth because that’s what he’s like. He’s more outgoing, has lots of friends. Whenever they walked the university halls, there never was a time when they came across someone he didn’t know. Even people from different departments knew who Seungcheol was and that made Jeonghan feel like he had the right to brag about being with him every single day.</p><p>Jeonghan finally agreed to meet him. No big deal.</p><p> </p><p>Dinner was the plan so they met at this rustic Italian place across town that’s not too expensive. Jeonghan ordered some Pesto, Seungcheol had the only burger they had in the menu with some chicken wings, along with a glass of wine for the two of them because ‘<em>we’re adults now’</em>, Seungcheol had said.</p><p>Conversation naturally came. They caught up with each other as Jeonghan tried to not appear as nervous as he felt knowing they haven’t talked in so long.</p><p>Seungcheol tells him he’s working as an operations manager in some big shot company downtown. In return, he tells Seungcheol that he works as a home-based consultant in the company where Jisoo works as well.</p><p>“I came to the reunion. Was really hoping I could see you there.” Seungcheol says after finishing his meal.</p><p>“I know. You told me, remember?”</p><p>Jeonghan watches him wipe his hand on the table napkin, laughing a little which Jeonghan hoped he didn’t because he wasn’t ready to see and hear that smile that used to be the only thing that lit up his days.</p><p>“I never really planned on going either,” Seungcheol replies, looking at him. “When Jisoo told me you were coming, I came as soon as I could.” He puts the napkin back on the table. “But it wasn’t soon enough.”</p><p>Jeonghan just smiles. Because apparently, that’s the only thing he could do right now under the watchful eyes of Choi Seungcheol and whatever his words were trying to imply.</p><p>There was silence, and it was getting uncomfortable for Jeonghan so he glances around the other people in the restaurant, buying himself some time, before he finally gathers courage to ask him, “Seungcheol, why are you telling me this?”</p><p>After this meeting, Jeonghan doubted they’d continue doing so. If they already drifted apart once, it was bound to happen again.</p><p>“I don’t know. I just thought you should know.”</p><p>It was hard to miss the hint of defeat in Seungcheol’s voice and Jeonghan feels a little bad now.</p><p>“Sorry, I-“</p><p>“You know, I could never recall how the two of us ended up being friends. I mean, we both come from different blocks. I barely even saw you in freshman year.” Seungcheol tells him, with a sad smile on his face.</p><p>“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.” Jeonghan sits back on his chair, fumbling with the base of the wine glass.</p><p>It was quiet for a few save for the light buzz of the traffic outside and the faint chatter of the people around them.</p><p>“You never went out with someone right? I mean, I would know because we were together most part of the day.” Seungcheol chuckles.</p><p>“Yeah, was that a bad thing?” Jeonghan answers, drinking the last bits of his wine. “Nobody really asked me out.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s funny because I think I’ve always had a crush on you back then.” Seungcheol casually replies and Jeonghan puts down the glass so quick, he was afraid he could’ve broken it. He quickly grabbed the napkin in front of him before he could choke on himself.</p><p>“Wha- Say that again?” Jeonghan almost shouts, mouth hung open.</p><p>“I liked you. You didn’t know?” Seungcheol answers with a crestfallen expression, not meeting Jeonghan’s eyes.</p><p>Jeonghan tries to open his mouth but nothing comes out. He stupidly tries again but everything he manages to form are broken words. Thankfully, Seungcheol doesn’t break out into laughter because that’s the last thing Jeonghan needed right now.</p><p>“Why? Is something wrong?” Seungcheol asks sitting up. His elbows resting at the edge of the table, their faces closer now.</p><p>“I thought you knew,” Jeonghan finally managed to say, barely a whisper. His voice breaking at the end.</p><p>“Knew what?” Seungcheol asks back, his eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.</p><p>Jeonghan takes a deep breath to remind himself, ‘<em>What was there to lose?’ </em>That after this conversation, their lives will go back to the way they were. Friends to strangers.</p><p>“I tried telling you before but you kept brushing it off so I thought you didn’t feel the same way. What the… holy shit Seungcheol.” Jeonghan looks at him and his eyebrows are bunched in the middle, confused.</p><p>It finally clicks in Seungcheol’s mind. “You liked me too?”</p><p>“I- I figured you might not have liked me. That you were just being kind, rejecting me indirectly. Besides, you were always with other girls!” Jeonghan didn’t mean to raise his voice but it was the only way he could say it.</p><p>“Wait. Hold on. You-“ Seungcheol starts but Jeonghan couldn’t take it anymore. These feelings were too long overdue and he prepared himself for every possible conversation they could have tonight but not this. Never this.</p><p>“I’m leaving.” Jeonghan says in a hurry, standing up and leaving Seungcheol even more confused at how things were turning out.</p><p>Jeonghan was in auto-pilot right now, his fight or flight instincts telling him to just get out of there before worse comes to worst and he’s back at square one.</p><p>“Hey, wait!” Jeonghan hears him say. Seungcheol leaves ample amount of cash on the table to cover tonight’s bill in a hurry to catch up to him.</p><p>Seungcheol manages to gently grab Jeonghan by the arm and turn him around when he’s close enough. He saw how Seungcheol was surprised to see his cheeks gleaming with tears under the yellow street light.</p><p>“Seungcheol,” Jeonghan starts, seeing the hopeful look in the other’s eyes, his long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. “Please let me go.”</p><p>Seungcheol loosens grip. “No. Not when you just told me you liked me too.”</p><p>Jeonghan suppresses his tears. He takes a deep shaky breathe and sees concern flash through Seungcheol’s face.</p><p>“You never told me.” Seungcheol says calmly.</p><p>Jeonghan wipes the tears off his face, wondering why he’s even crying in the first place. It’s been years and he’s told himself enough times that he was over it.</p><p>“I got tired okay? I really tried telling you back then. Several times. You kept giving me hope that maybe you did like me, too. But then I thought, maybe you just treated everybody like that. I’d see you with some girl, a different one every few semesters, before we get into class and I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to because I’m difficult.” Jeonghan confesses, looking down at his feet just a few inches away from Seungcheol’s.</p><p>“You’re not difficult,” is all the other says, hand reaching out to hold Jeonghan’s wrist.</p><p>“It was fine most of the time. I’d get used to seeing you with other girls since it happened all the damn time. But when the feelings come back, I suffer for a few weeks contemplating whether I should tell you and maybe risk ruining the friendship if it came to it. So I did, subtly.” Jeonghan pauses to breathe before he could breakdown once more. He looks up at Seungcheol to see if he was still listening and he was. <em>Of course, he was.</em></p><p>“Nothing ever came out of it. I know that maybe I should’ve just told you upfront but I could never do it like that. You always tried changing the topic and I’m always thankful that the next day, it’s always like nothing even happened. It’s not like I was having a breakdown whether I should confess to you the night before. I could never do it because I was afraid I’d lose you. I barely any friends to begin with.”</p><p>By now, Seungcheol lets him go to wipe off the tears on his cheeks, which Jeonghan didn’t even notice were falling again, with both thumbs.</p><p>Seungcheol lifts Jeonghan’s face, searching for his eyes and when he does, his expression softens more if that was even possible at this point but he doesn’t say anything.</p><p>It was a calm cold night with nothing but the distant sound of crickets and rustling of the trees could be heard.</p><p>Seungcheol’s hands have settled on the sides of the other’s face and Jeonghan tries his best not to lean into the warmth of Seungcheol’s touch that he missed dearly.</p><p>“Cheol, please let me go.” Jeonghan says in a quiet voice, cracking at the mention of his name.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>In Seungcheol’s mind, he knows he hurt Jeonghan. He wouldn’t cry like this if he didn’t.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”</p><p>And to Jeonghan, that was enough. “It’s fine.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>To Seungcheol, it wasn’t fine.</em>
</p><p>Jeonghan turns to leave and Seungcheol lets him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That following week on a Tuesday, Jeonghan was making out most of his afternoon throwing away things he hasn’t used in months and won’t probably ever use again when a knock comes to his door.</p><p>“Cheol?” Jeonghan open the door and all Seungcheol says is, “Hey.”</p><p>Jeonghan ushers him into the dining area since the living room had things scattered all over the floor.</p><p>“Sorry, the house is a huge mess. I wasn’t expecting any guests.”</p><p>Seungcheol takes a seat and Jeonghan awkwardly stands opposite him. He turns to look at the state of his living room, and it’s not to avoid looking at Seungcheol after what happened. Okay, maybe it was.</p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude but I’m not staying for long anyway.” Seungcheol says and Jeonghan turns back to look at him. “I was just going to do the right thing I should’ve done years ago and ask you out on a date.” He says in a single breathe and Jeonghan almost barely registers anything besides ‘years ago’ and ‘date.’</p><p>Jeonghan just stood there, stunned beyond belief and Seungcheol probably saw because he breaks out in a smile. “A what?” Jeonghan stutters, almost choking in his own spit.</p><p>“Yeah, this Saturday.” Seungcheol replies casually.</p><p>Jeonghan panics and comes up with some excuse of, “I have a thing with Jisoo this Saturday.”</p><p>Only for Seungcheol to laugh some more. “No, you don’t. I already asked him. Besides, who did you think I got your address from?”</p><p>Jeonghan bows his head and closes his eyes, head pounding a little, ears burning. “God damn it, Cheol. Why are you doing this to me?” He say burying his face on the palms of his hands because he knows, absolutely positive, that he’s red as a tomato.</p><p>Seungcheol stands up to come around the table and settle right beside Jeonghan. He holds Jeonghan by the shoulders to turn him so they were face to face. He, then, takes the hands off the other’s face.</p><p>Making eye contact, Seungcheol had this gentle smile and Jeonghan felt like crying.</p><p>“Just tell me you’ll go.” Seungcheol waits for an answer. Anything. “Please. Just give me a chance to do it right this time.” His hands settle into Jeonghan’s.</p><p>“Shit, Cheol,” He sigh and Seungcheol chuckles. He looks too happy already feeling Jeonghan’s gentle squeeze on his hands.</p><p>“Fine,” Jeonghan asnwers, as if he forced me into it which he certainly wasn’t.</p><p>After that night at the restaurant, Jeonghan talked to Jisoo and made him realize that no matter how long it had been, how many times he’s convinced himself he was over it, he’d still go to Seungcheol in a heartbeat even after all these years.</p><p>Seungcheol’s smile breaks wider and then they’re hugging. Jeonghan completely melts into it as he rounds his arms around Seungcheol’s waist. He could feel the other’s breathe against his neck giving him goosebumps. He couldn’t help but think that maybe, this was the way things should’ve always been.</p><p>When they let go, Seungcheol’s hands settle once again on the sides of Jeonghan’s face just like it did a few nights before. Only this time, Jeonghan lets himself lean into his touch. He could finally do that now.</p><p>“Okay. I’m leaving now.” Seungcheol kisses him on the forehead. “I’m late for a meeting.”</p><p>“What?! You had a meeting and you came here instead of going there?”</p><p>Seungcheol laughs and Jeonghan wishes he didn’t need to leave.</p><p>“Yeah,” Seungcheol says removing his hands from the other’s face and he already misses him, “Priorities.”</p><p>Seungcheol then says goodbye and exits by himself out the front door. Leaving Jeonghan frozen in the middle of his dining are to even recount the sudden turn of events that transpired in the last 8 minutes.</p><p>He barely finishes throwing out trash that evening.</p>
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